Boo!

Even though it was almost a week before October 31, our family has tricked and treated.  It was a balmy 80 degrees for a trick or treat night, which as I told one Tinkerbell, was perfect for her sleeveless costume.  For one of our own, however, it was a wee bit warm.

Star Wars.  We are all about the Star Wars.  It was a theme costume year, and I even ordered two costumes as I found them cheaper online than I could have purchased the fabric.  Hooray!!   So Yoda and C-3 PO were store bought and proud. 

But for Chewy, dear Chewy.....the weather combined with a layer of brown sweats and brown fur.....I told Ben to speak in his best Chewbacca voice, "Uhhhhhhh (loud Wookie moan) it's hot!"

Yes, thanks for asking, I did make the Chewbacca outfit without a pattern.  I was very thankful that Chewy is not a perfectionist.  He doesn't care if his fur is going up on his right arm and down on his left arm.  He doesn't even bat an eye at it!  He is just free and happy to be a wookie!

I am not sure what Leia's problem is.  Smile much Leia?  I mean, seriously.   I had intentions of hanging packaged honey buns from my head, but they were so heavy and my hair is so slippery that I couldn't get them to stay on in the 4 minutes that I had to prepare my costume.  So I just made pigtails that went all over the place.  I try.  I sure do try. 

May the force be with you. 

Pumpkin Day

A lovely, although cool Saturday spending time with dear friend Catherine. The children and Kevin worked outside all morning fighting the ongoing battle of the autumn leaves. The kids piled the 3 feet tall pile of leaves in the car port and built a fort where they sat together and read books. Then we piled in the van to get pumpkins to carve and spent the next hour, as temperatures continue to fall, carving pumpkins in the driveway. Not too shabby for a bunch of novice pumpkin carvers!!

Leaves Plus One

It just wouldn't be fall without the backyard leaf pile pictures.

Here they are.  Anyone needing an upper body workout is welcome to visit and rake a few thousand leaves.  That Sycamore sure can produce!

 

11 days later

Holy smokes.  How did 11 days go by?  Life seems to have been on fast forward lately.  Not enough time in the day to accomplish anything.  The leaves are in their prime, so we have been trying to spend as much time as possible outside enjoying the warm weather....before....it turns....into....November and the fifty shades of gray appear until February.   (Nice reference and NO I haven't read the book.)

Legos have infiltrated our lives.  They are in every room of the house including the bathroom window ledge.  They go with us to the library (where poor blue ninja did not return) and often times are found in coat pockets, perhaps suffocating.

I have a love-hate relationship with legos.  I love them for the creativity and the hours of concentration that they provide for my sons.  I don't appreciate them for....well...being everywhere.  Little tiny piles of legos on my cupboards, on my kitchen counters, on the floor.  ALWAYS ALWAYS on the floor.  Drives me crazy.

This is a cave created for Gandalf, the wizard from the Lord of the Rings, complete with potions, spider and a hanger for his robe.

Piano created in a made dash to piano lessons (also resulted in Mom losing patience when calling "Let's go we are going to be late!" and receiving the reply "Just a minute." one too many times.)

Ninja air ship which also goes under water.

Gandalf's television viewing area in his cave.  Note the tv is already set to a specific station. 





     Because of these things I will continue to try to coexist in peace (or pieces) with the little creatures.  I must admit though, occasionally I get great satisfaction from sucking a few up in the vacuum!!

Sweet Kids

Recently the husband of a woman who lives in close proximity to us was killed in a tragic car accident.  Donna, our neighbor who shares our driveway did a kind deed for this woman by paying to have her grass mowed as she was recovering in the hospital.   Her husband was an immaculate keeper of the lawn. 

 

Kevin and I mentioned this good deed to our family at dinner one night.  The boys perked up and said, "Let's go and rake her leaves."  After dinner they packed equipment and walked over to her yard and raked up a small pile that they pulled home.  We even had a tagalong participant!

 

It is encouraging to see your kids do kind things for others. 

So often I tend to focus on the negative teasing, name calling, and annoying behavior that occurs.

 

Nice job Good Samaritans!  Fruit snacks all the way around!

Discovery

Awhile back we spent the night with Kevin's brother in Dover, Ohio. Ben and Ethan share another room and I put Will to bed on a futon in a room by himself where I would join him later. When I came to bed this is how I discovered him...asleep....under the bed.

The Work Force has been Rejoined

I survived my first day back in the groove.  Last Wednesday I returned to work after a 9 year hiatus.  In hindsight I guess I should have snuggled up with the boys and read the Berenstain Bear's "Mama's New Job".  Oops.

The day was fun and very busy.  I spent most of my time saying....sit on your bottom....okay....sit down...sit down please.  But what do you expect from 3 year olds?? 

We played play dough, cars, and little people.  Then snacked on apples, listened to a story about lady bugs and introduced.....dah dah dah dah the letter "L".  Then they made ladybugs out of paper plates and thumb prints, sponge painted, played some more and then it was lunch time.  Needless to say the morning flies by.

I enjoyed spending time with my co-worker, a lovely woman who is an inspiration to me for her calm voice and quiet demeanor when talking with opinionated 3 year olds.  Oftentimes I try to summon her powers when dealing with my own children.

Will was a little clingy throughout the morning and then at lunchtime I understood why as he devoured every item Kevin had packed.  The poor boy was starving!!  I hope the novelty will wear off and I won't hear "Mommy I need you."  across the classroom too often.

For this week I am refreshing my memory on the transitional activities....need to get some short songs up my sleeves for those restless moments.